After making the decision to cancel the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game due to the collapse of Bills safety Damar Hamlin on the field of play, the NFL is in the process of looking at different ways to proceed once the playoffs begin.
According to a statement from the league, there are three scenarios affecting the AFC playoff picture that could have a direct impact on the Bills, Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs, including the possibility of a neutral site game for the AFC Championship.
A neutral AFC Championship Game site now is possible, per the NFL: pic.twitter.com/5gmd0drq7q
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2023
The speculation of adding an eighth team to both the AFC and NFC swirled around, but the league never had that on the table, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
“NFL never considered an eighth playoff team being added to each conference,” Schefter says via tweet.
Entering Week 17, the Bills held the top spot in the conference, while the Chiefs and Bengals rounded out the top-three. Had Buffalo lost, Kansas City would have moved to No. 1, while Cincinnati would go to the second spot, and the Bills drop to third.
With the game cancelled, the Bengals are the winners of the AFC North because they would have a higher winning percentage over the Baltimore Ravens, even if the Ravens won the upcoming game pitting the two teams against each other.
One of the scenarios would have the AFC Championship being held in a neutral site if the two teams have an unequal amount of games played.
Hamlin, who is still in critical condition in a Cincinnati hospital, is showing signs of recovery, doctors said during a press conference Thursday.